MY FIRST CAR
BRIAN MURPHY, the star of George and Mildred and Man About the House, remembers his first car, a Morris Minor, as a tank.
“It was a very solid car,” he said. “I remember it had little indicators that flicked out from the side and if they stuck, you had to give arm signals. I’m not sure that many young people driving these days would know how to give an arm signal.”
It was 1964 when Brian – just back from filming in America – bought the Minor for £250.
“It night not sound it but it was quite a lot of money in those days,” he said.
“I took my boys to school and home again sometimes. It was quite a thrill to have a car. Not everyone had one.”
it came to a sad end though. When filming at Elstree, he found the car wouldn’t start. An actor friend who was having driving lessons took the wheel while Brian tried to push-start it.
“The car fired up and went round a corner and crashed into a wall,” he said. “My friend was OK but the car was a write-off.
“Later I had Fords. I remember at one time having one of the first Granadas. I was doing well and I was on tour with Yootha Joyce [his co-star from George and Mildred] and I went to pick her up.
“She came out with no end of suitcases and a lot of teddy bears. She said they went everywhere with her.”
Brian later spent a lot of time in Yorkshire filming Last of the Summer Wine. “I joined for one episode and stayed eight years,” he said. “It was a tremendous company and we stayed in Huddersfield. I loved it.”
Brian, now 91 and living in Kent, says he still enjoys driving. “I have a Ford Focus,” he added. “I find Fords are good and reliable.
“I still have a fondness for the old Morris Minor though. It was such a great car. Economical too.”